


For Better, for Worse

by missauburnleaf



Series: Marriage Vows [3]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst and Feels, Birth, F/M, Family Fluff, Fígrid February, Gen, Medical Jargon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 04:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9640028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missauburnleaf/pseuds/missauburnleaf
Summary: "Fíli had never been this afraid before in all his life."When Sigrid is about to give birth to her and Fíli's first child, the crown prince of Erebor is worried because so much could go wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The next story in celebration of Fígrid February. Enjoy!

 

Fíli had never been this afraid before in all his life.

For him it was pure torture to listen to Sigrid's moans and cries while she was in labour, struggling to bring their child into this world. A part of him wanted to believe that everything would be alright, that rather sooner than later he would hold his newborn son in his arms. Or his daughter.

But another part of him was still skeptical, thinking that something could go wrong. Maybe he would lose his wife tonight, his beautiful, brave Sigrid. Or that he would lose his unborn child.

With a scowl Fíli regarded his wife's obstetricians while her back was resting against his chest. Oin was there, as was Tauriel and his mother in addition to the only woman from Dale Sigrid trusted enough to have with her in the birthing chamber: Hilda Bianca. While Oin was putting his instruments on their nightstand and Tauriel was busy holding Sigrid's hand and dabbing her forehead with a washcloth, Hilda Bianca was crouching down between Sigrid's spread legs, extending her hand, supervised by Dís.

Sigrid whimpered. "She isn't opening up the way she should after being in labour for nearly ten hours," the human woman explained.

Dís snorted. "Of course she isn't. Have you seen her narrow hips? How on Middle Earth should she be able to squeeze my grandchild out?" she remarked.

"Amad!" Fíli scolded his mother. He would never forget how Dís had arrived at the mountain only three months after Thorin had sent her the raven, bearing the news of Erebor's reclamation, dirty, tired, emaciated. It turned out that she had left the rest of her caravan as soon as Thorin had informed her about Fíli's engagement to a daughter of men, almost riding night and day, only granting herself three hours of rest each day, changing ponies whenever possible, in order to reach her son before the wedding. Actually, she had arrived right on time, one day before Fíli and Sigrid had tied the knot. Yet all of her attempts of talking her son out of it had remained futile.

"She is doing just fine! It's her first child, so leave her alone," Tauriel simply stated, pressing a kiss to her sister-in-law-to-be's temple.

Fíli didn't know why, but ever since it became clear that Sigrid was his One as much as Tauriel was Kíli's, the elf had become rather protective of the girl.

"Let's see how you will perform, elf, when your time has come," Dís said. As much as Dís seemed to dislike her human daughter-in-law, she showed greater resentment towards his brother's bride-to-be.

Someone cleared their throat. It was Kíli. Fíli had totally forgotten that his little brother was also there with them in the birthing chamber, on his own request as the crown prince (Kíli had flat out refused to witness his sister-in-law giving birth to his nephew or niece until Fíli had ordered him to be there as some kind of support).

"I don't think that's going to happen, Amad. I will never touch Tauriel intimately if she has to suffer like Sigrid because of my lust for her," he explained.

 _Great_ , Fíli thought, _your little brother should have been some kind of emotional support for you, yet he judges you because your wife is suffering due to childbirth!_

Dís snorted, but otherwise, she remained quiet.

Fíli could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "It wasn't because of lust, it was because of love that I lay with her," he explained.

"Yeah sure," Kíli mumbled, but Fíli decided to ignore his brother's comment because Sigrid had a very strong contraction; his wife needed him.

"Sig, is there anything I can do for you?" he asked while supporting her back, holding her other hand, ignoring the fact that she was crashing it to the point of breaking.

"Yes, you can shut up, for a start," she hissed.

Her words hurt him but he knew that she didn't mean it. Thorin had told him about Kíli's birth. Since their father had died shortly after his mother had conceived Kíli, it had been Thorin who had supported her in the birthing chamber. According to his uncle, it had been a difficult birth and Dís had suffered greatly. However, she had cursed and screamed and nearly broken Thorin's hand.

"Let me have a look at her," Óin barged in.

He placed his hands on Sigrid's swollen stomach, then he nodded before examining the dilation of her cervix. Sigrid whimpered again.

"I know that this causes you some discomfort, lass, but it's important for me to check whether we need to resume to other measures in order to help you and your child," he explained.

Fíli held his breath. He knew about those other measures. A forceps delivery, for example. Or a surgical procedure. When Óin smiled, it took a load of his heart.

"Her cervix might not be dilated as it should be during a human birth at this stage, but it has opened enough for a dwarven birth," he explained.

Hilda Bianca looked confused. "But Sigrid is human!" she exclaimed.

"However, the little one is not. At least not fully human. Therefore her body tries to adapt to the child's needs," Óin elaborated.

"So that means everything is alright?" Sigrid asked, panting heavily.

Óin smiled at her. "Oh yes, certainly. I think in five or six hours you will be holding a strong and healthy child in your arms," he reassured her.

Fíli was relieved. Óin had just confirmed that Sigrid and his child were doing fine. Yet he dreaded the long wait. Five to six hours! Poor Sigrid.

"Fíli, you haven't eaten anything since breakfast! Why don't you come down to the kitchens with me and get some food?" Dís suggested.

Fíli shot his mother an incredulous glance. "You can't be serious, Amad! I won't leave Sigrid alone," he stated, tightening his grip on his wife's middle.

Dís shrugged. "Well, if you faint from hunger, it will be your own fault. I will go grab something to eat. Everybody in this room is invited to join me," she simply said while getting up from her chair.

Fíli could see that his little brother would have loved to leave the birthing chamber, but the look he shot in his direction told him that Kíli's loyalty was stronger.

"Go ahead, Kíli. You are certainly hungry. Get something to eat, then come back. You've heard what Oin said: It will take some time before your nephew or your niece is born," Fíli told his brother.

Kíli smiled at him. "Thank you, Fee," he said while getting up from his position on the floor.

"I'm coming as well," Tauriel declared, "I'd like to make Sigrid some tea that will help her relax and ease her pain."

Sigrid gave the elf a grateful look. "Thank you, Tauriel, I appreciate what you are doing for me," she said.

"You're welcome," Tauriel answered before leaving the room with Kíli, following Dís' example.

It turned out that Óin had been right. Six hours later, while everyone was once again gathered around Fíli's and Sigrid's marriage bed, with one last final push and a heart-wrenching scream, Sigrid gave birth to a strong and healthy boy with a tuft of gold-blond curls and lake-blue eyes. Fíli thought that he was the happiest dwarf in all of Middle Earth as soon as Hilda Bianca placed the squirming bundle into his arms while Óin fixed up Sigrid's perineal tear and Dís and Tauriel helped the girl to clean up a bit, changing the sheets and her nightdress.

"He is beautiful, Fee, congratulations," Kíli said, looking over his shoulder.

Fíli beamed at his brother like an idiot. "Well, thank you, Kee. Do you want to hold him?"

Kíli turned pale. "Oh, I don't know, he looks so fragile. I'm afraid I might drop him or something," he mumbled.

"Ach, I was only five when I held you for the first time, Kee. And I didn't drop you then," Fíli answered.

Dís chuckled. "Well, at least not when you held your brother for the first time, Fíli. Later you did," she disclosed.

Kíli looked scandalized. "Thank you very much, Fee. Now I know why I have trouble remembering things correctly and in addition, I'm even more afraid to hold him," he exclaimed.

Fíli winked at him. "Oh, I'm sure Amad is just joking," he said.

"Oh no, I'm not. It's the truth. But before you give the baby to your brother, I'd like to hold my grandson," Dís declared.

Carefully Fíli passed the baby over to his mother. As soon as Dís looked at her grandchild, her face lit up.

"Kíli is right," she whispered in awe, "he is really beautiful. You did well."

Fíli smiled fondly at his mother. "Thank you, Amad."

Dís snorted. "I wasn't talking to you, lad. I was talking to your wife... Here Sigrid, say hello to your son," she explained, placing the baby into his mother's waiting arms.

Sigrid seemed to be relieved that she finally had her mother-in-law's approval.

"Thank you, Dís," she answered honestly while regarding the baby.

Fíli sat down on the bed, next to his wife, first kissing her forehead then his son's. _This is bliss_ , he thought while beholding his little family.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Any ideas for the baby's name?  
> Your comments and kudos are very much appreciated:)


End file.
